Marine trade and analysis of the ports in the Black Sea economic cooperation region

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to (i) investigate the crucial role of marine trade, (ii) reveal the main characteristics and the integrating role of ports, (iii) analyze the networks of ports serving at the international level, produce route maps, and examine transportation corridors affecting the BSEC region that constitutes a significant part of Southeast Europe. In this context, we have carried out the social network analysis (SNA), which allows an understanding of the network structure, social dynamics, trends, and the actors’ effects in the network. According to SNA, Romania – Constanta Port, Bulgaria – Burgas Port, Ukraine – Chornomorsk Port, Russian Federation – Novorossiysk Port, Georgia – Batumi Port, and Turkey – Samsunport are the most prominent ports of the region. Due to the features they have and their involvement in international transportation projects, the ports are a tool for directing/accelerating foreign trade and marine traffic and developing economic cooperation between countries in the Black Sea Region.

KEYWORDS:

• Black Sea economic cooperation
• marine trade
• social network analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Burcu Değerli Çifçi

Burcu Değerli Çifçi is a doctoral student at Izmir Institute of Technology. After graduating from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University – Department of Urban and Regional Planning with a high-grade point average, she completed her master’s degree at Istanbul Technical University – Program of City Planning with a high-grade point average. While writing her undergraduate thesis on integrated coastal zone management, her master’s thesis is about analysing ports from a marine trade perspective. Her first article, Integrated Coastal Zone Plans And Spatial Planning Relations, An Evaluation Of A Case Study On İzmit Bay And Bursa Province, was published in a national Journal of Awareness.